The Lyon, France-based international police agency noted that because al-Qaida was suspected to be involved in the jailbreaks, it was urgent to determine whether the organization was directly linked and to capture the escapees.

Interpol, with some 190 member countries, also noted that August is the anniversary of several high-profile terrorist attacks — in 1998 against U.S. embassies in East Africa and in Mumbai, India, in 2008.